Sprocket wheel



w. G. HUMPHREYS ET Al. 1,853,308

Snvcntors pril 12, 1932. w. G. HUMPHREYS ET AL 1,853,308

SPROCKET WHEEL Filed April l2, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 lljg'. a Ils' 3 O.R.Humphreys E W, G.Humphreys Y Gttorneg i ward elect in the normal operation '15 substances and y. 1 35 hereto.:

o i' sprocket wheel i 'a traction chain applied thereto.

Y c yFigure 4 is an edge p 'Figure 45 'isha' fragmentary' longitudinal sectiontaken through av portion of the periph- Y 50 ery of the wheel,`,and `f f Patented Apr. 12, `1932 UNIrED erSTfl"ESr PATENT oFFlcii f Y 'I WALTER G. nimrnnnizs ANn'oMAn n. HUMPHREYS, or OMAHA, NEBRASKA ,l Y

sraocxnr WHEEL' 1 application mea April 12,1930.l serial antennas.H

The present invention ments in sprocket wheels, ject to .provide an for use in connection with endless' chain andhas for an ob- A' 5 treads adapted Jfor heavy land vehicles,` such kas tractors in which mud,r earth and other foreign matter adhering to the chain will not clogthe improvedsprocket wheel, resultin the breakage of the chain or have any untoi i ofthe mechanism. o p t ."Another object or the invention is toproyvide an improved sprocketV wheel so `constructed las to clean itself VAoi mud and foreign I IVOYG lsuch substances out'- wardly of the vehicle andffree ofthe chain:

Aqfurther `object ot the invention. is to provide` an improved fseli-clearing;y sprocket wheel rigidly and strongly Aconstructedand "p having through peripheral passages which Hopen inwardly` upon oneV sidev onlyy of the sprocket wheel, such side being directedaway `from thegearing and shaftinggby which the sprocket wheel is driven. y f i,

A still further objectot the inventionis'to provide a 'compact andVv inexpensive form of wheel in which therformationof the peripheral passages will in nowise impair the rigidity and strengthof thewheel. f

- i 53. 'with c theforeaoms .and 'other b-lectis in gview; the invention willlbeimore fully dev scribed 'hereina-ter,- and willfbe more particularly pointed out in In the dra-wings, wherein like symbols re-V ferto like o r corresponding parts throughout c lthe several views, y e n c .i Figurel is a side elevation of an improved constructed according to the present invention and showing aragmentfof i Figure Zisa horizontal section vline 2-2 in Figure 1L taken" on the v Figureis a'vertical sectionptake'n through .the wheel. Y l 4 view of the wheel.

relates to improve-k y proved wheel.

improved sprocket wheel y lngsflO designates the hub of the improved r the claims 'appended 'Figure 6 is a perspectiveview ofthe imvReferringmore particularly to the* drawvvheel, and 11 represents generally the web or discywhich is ycast or otherwise axed'to the hub 10 and normally extends out to support the rim ofthe Wheel. In this instance,

however, the web ordiso 11 extends centrally o from the'hub 107,'but only for a. relatively short v'radiali distance' and it then continues outwardly'in a substantially diagonal direcf tion to provide the outer diagonal sectionlQ,

the outer end of which extends to one side of *y Y the center of the wheel; The rim 'or the wheel is' represented generally at 13, and thisrirn'is provided with spaces or vthrouglfi pas- .sages 14 made radially throughthe inner and louter portions .of the rim 13" and on opposite, Asides ofthe teeth'f'l, the outer surfaces of which are preferably'iormed with the outwardly convergent `faces 16 `meeting inthe.

Vridge or apex 17'. This`,ridge 17exten'dsr transversely of the Wheel7 as shown inFig- ThisgiangeV 18` tends to Yreinforce and ystrengthen the rim construction,v especially -at that part remotey from the connection of the rimw'ith the disc or web. Also preferably there is aflange19 projecting'inwardly from the-rim 13 at that side of the throughpas-` l sages 14 opposite to the disc section 12.k This Y -inner flange is'L spaced lfrom the outer {ia-nge 18 and serves toform a lsubstantial channel.; i

.construction at onergsidefoi` therim 13 for reinforcing and strengthening the same;

f MoreoveryribsQO are cast or" otherwise formedjupon the hub`10, they disc and'1its-di- VVagonal section and the rim 18. These ribs n yanglest'o the planeof the web or disc and they n extend as to their 'Width substantially at right-Y are' spaced apartas indicated `infliigiure 16.

jThey contribute to constitutea strong vand rugged construction to the entire wheel Vas-A sembly. Y

if: D

Moreover similar reinforcing' ribs 21 are formed upon the opposite sides of the web or disc and they are also'connected with the hub 10 and with the rim portion 13 at this side 5 of the disc. An outwardly extending iiange 22 is made upon the hub 10 at the inner side of the wheel and preferably outside the perimeter of the rim 13, the ribs 21 being connected with this flange 22. y

This flange 22k serves to reinforce and strengthen the hub and the rib construction and it also tends to separate the main hub portion from the extension hub 23 which eX- tends coaxial with the main hub and is preferably cast therewith.

As yshown more particularly in Figures l and 2, a shaft 24 carries the hub 10k of the sprocket wheel, this sha-ft being that ordinarily provided on tractors and like vehicles for receiving the sprocket wheels over which the endless 'chain threads 25 are adapted to `move.

As shown in Figure y2, a gear wheel 26vis sweated, shrunk or otherwise ixedly mounted upon the extension hub 23 and against the flange 22. This gear wheel 26 is disposed in mesh with a pinion27 on a drivey or` jack shaft 28, which is driven by the motor of the tractor ork other appropriate source.y

The chains 25 are made up oflinks hinged together, as indicated at 29, and teeth 30 yare providedupon the` chain adapted to intermesh with Athe teeth 15 of #the sprocket wheel and -to fit Within 1the throughpassageslt in the rim ofY the improved sprocket wheel. In the operationof the device, it will be understood thatthe chain 25 becomes clogged .with soft mud and earth or with other foreign .matter in a mauner,fwhereby the chain is liable to become broken byA reason of the vearth and other foreign matter lodging between the links andA piling up between the chain auditssprocket wheel.y Assuming that the chain moves in the'directionofthe arrow-31 in Figure 1, the clod of earth indicatedfat 32 having attached itself yto thefchain will become compressed and ysqueezed by contact with the teeth 15 vof the sprocket wheel. A lclod of earth is indicatedat 33 in Figure 2 as having been pushed by one ofthe teeth 30 ofthe chain into and past a through passage 14 of the sprocket wheel. This clod ofearth33 is illus- 4in AFigure2. as being received 1a gainst the inclined disc section 12 ofthe wheel and is inthe act of being guided laterally-of the wheel Aby suchy inclined 'sectiongand between the-spaced ribs 20.' The lclod 133 will ride out- Ywvafrdly-upon the inclined section 12 and be discharged laterally ofthe wheel. Y

Tha' lateral or axial discharge of the accumulated matter it willfbe noticed occurs at one side only of the wheel, namely at that side away from the shaft 24 and thegears 26 and 27 so that any likelihood of the y.stoppage of the mechanism by reason of accuinulationfof hub 10 and from the rim 13 inwardly of the vvwheel towardthe intermediate portion of the disc or web and they substantially meet there- ,withy at the point of divergence Vof the outer section 12 away from the normal innerfsection l1 ofthe disc, sothat atthis'intermediate point thestrengthening ribs 20 substantially do vnot exist. vThis removes'all surfaces to which the clodof` earth mightcling and to this extent insures the freeing. of the clodof earth and its entire yseparation Afrom the wheel..r v We do not wish to be restricted tothe size,

form, rand proportions of the various parts, and obviouslyv changes could be made in the construction herein described Without departing from the .spirit of the inventiomit being only necessar. the scope ofjthe appended claims.

Whatis claimed is-:- Y 1 1. improved sprocket wheel comprising `a hub, adisc having an inner radial portion extending substantially centrally and at ap-u proximately right` angles from 4said yhub and further having an outer radial portion extending. diagonally from the irst mentioned disc portion, a rim connected at one side to the outer part of the diagonal section, said .rimi Vhaving teeth and alternate peripheral 1openings therethrough, the axes of-which are, in

linelwith the diagonal section of the discT and spaced ribs extending laterally of the wheel and connected between the hub, disc andthe i rim, said ribs having in-curved parts extending substantially to the circle of joinder between the two parts ofthe disc.

` 2. An improved sprocket wheel comprising a hub, a disc extending therefrom andhaving;V

a diagonal outer portion, a rim on the disc having teeth with through peripheral passages between they teeth, said disc connecting with.r the `rim at one side of the passages,

spacedanges extending inwardly from thef portion of the rim on the other side of said passages, and ribs extending on both sides of said disc and connecting with the hub and uthe rim. u .f

3.` An improved sprocket wheel comprising a hub, a disc thereon having an outer diagonal part, a rimconnected at one side with the Vdiagonal part of the disc and havingteeth and through openings at opposite sides of the teeth, ribs atopposite sides of said-,disc con- I y that such changes fall within:

:meeting the hubkanderimfa separationnge e extending outwardlyfrom said hub and being coupled with the ribs at that side, and an extension hub extendin axially from the main hub and beyond said ange. v

In testimony whereof, We ax our sg natures. y

WALTER G. HUMPHREYS. OMAR R. HUMPHREYS. 

